Green IT is gaining momentum and slowly, but surely making its way into the mainstream IT sales cycle as a benefit of service. With the advent of Intel’s vPro technology, which enables service providers to remotely turn on and shut down systems, and integration with managed services platforms including N-central 6.5, VARs and MSPs are not only selling efficiency, but they are helping end-users reduce energy consumption and costs.
Professional Service Automation (PSA) tools which integrate with managed services platforms and help automate business processes, are also doing their part to help bring IT Green. According to Bob Vogel, Chief Marketing Officer at Autotask, “PSA offerings help eliminate unnecessary paper usage, and allow techs to close work, log time, and pick up new assignments in the field through smartphones and PDAs which can help reduce carbon emissions and help conserve fuel.”
The reporting mechanisms gained by using N-central and a PSA tool can also help service providers identify trouble spots within the network and recommend new technology upgrades that are energy efficient and have a smaller footprint. Fact is that when businesses automate and upgrade their IT, efficiencies are gained across the board. Whether it’s saving time, money, energy or fuel, one thing is for certain… We’ve only scratched the surface to the long-term benefits managed services brings to the business and the environment.